Overall, students will take part in competitions for 99 skill sets. Many of the students said they plan to carry those skills into a career.

Competitors in the culinary arts events were preparing to cook four-course meals. Plumbing students were working to set up hot, cold and sanitary water lines. Bakery students were making cakes, bread, muffins and cookies. Welders were, in their words, arcing and sparking.

The young people worked to perfect and show off their skills, knowing that some of the people who are judging and overseeing the competition may be some of the same people who will eventually hire them for jobs.

"It gives them that early start. Networking is very important when you're looking for a career. They get that here at the college and high school level," said Isabel Soto of Skills USA. "They are not, at that point, just interacting with their teachers, but future bosses and future competitors they may be competing with in the work force later on."

After this year, the Skills USA competition will leave Kansas City for Louisville.

MONTH. LEADERS DO INSIST THE RIDE WILL OPEN TO THE PUBLIC ON SUNDAY. 6-THOUSAND STUDENTS SHOW OFF WHAT THEY CAN DO IN HEALTH CARE, GRAPHIC ARTS, AUTO BODY REPAIR AND COSMETOLOGY -- JUST TO NAME A FEW. THEY'RE PARTICIPATING IN THE SKILLS U-S-A COMPETITION AT BARTLE HALL. KMBC-9'S MARTIN AUGUSTINE SHOWS US HOW THEY'LL CARRY THESE SKILLS IN TO A CAREER. A WIDE VARIETY OF COMPETITIONS FOR A WIDE VARIETY OF SKILL SETS HERE AT SKILLS USA. RIGHT HERE THE CULINARY ARTS PROGRAM HAVE THE STOVES SET UP FOR PREPARING A FOUR COURSE MEAL. IF WE LOOK ACROSS THE WAY THEY'RE LINES, SANITARY LINES--- THERE'S ALSO BAKING---WHERE THEY'RE WORKING ON CAKES AND BREAD AND MUFFINS AND COOKIES. AND THEN YOU'VE GOT WELDERS THAT ARE ARCING AND SPARKING--AS THEY LIKE TO SAY-- SHOWING OFF THEIR SKILL SETS THERE. ALL OF THESE YOUNG PEOPLE, AND IN SOME CASES NOT-SO- YOUNG-PEOPLE, ARE WORKING ON THESE VERY MARKETBLE SKILLS---AND HAVE PERFECTED THESE SKILLS---BECAUSE THE JUDGES AND COMMITTEE MEMBERS THERE ARE WORKING WITH MAY VERY WELL BE THE PEOPLE THAT HIRE THEM BEFORE TOO LONG. "IT GIVES THEM THAT EARLY START. NETWORKING IS VERY IMPORTANT WHEN YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A CAREER. THEY GET THAT HERE AT THE COLLEGE AND HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL." "THEY ARE NOT AT THAT POINT JUST INTERACTING WITH THEIR TEACHERS. BUT FUTURE BOSSES AND FUTURE COMPETITORS THEY MAY BE COMPETING WITH IN THE WORK FORCE LATER ON." WE ARE ONLY SCRATCHING THE SURFACE HERE. THERE ARE 99 SKILL SETS THAT WILL HAVE COMPETITIONS HERE AT SKILLS USA, INCLUDING MASONRY, CRIME SCENE TECHNOLOGY AND BASIC HEALTH CARE, JUST TO NAME A FEW. REPORTING FROM BARTLE HALL, MARTIN AUGUSTINE, KMBC 9 NEWS. THE SKILLS U-S-A COMPETITION IS